Rover unions press for big pay increases

MG ROVER is facing demands for a “substantial” pay increase for its 5,500 workers as unions press the company to reward them for helping to keep it afloat.

The unions are also seeking: increased holidays; an extension of holiday bonuses, the traditional payments made before the summer shutdown but which were to end this year; paid parental leave; and other family-friendly benefits.Talks between the two sides began yesterday after a claim was submitted last week.

The pay demand comes as MG Rover is working on cutting costs in an effort to make it cash positive by next year and profitable the year after.

But the unions want better pay for the workforce who have had their wages held down for the past two years in